Future Tripping
by Miss Dorktastic
Summary: A few weeks into his eighth year at Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy has a world-bending epiphany. Throw in some crystal balls, a crush and a little bit of jealousy and what he gets is way more than he ever imagined. Or... The 5 times Draco Malfoy's feelings for Hermione Granger terrified him and the one time it didn't.
1. Part 1

Earth-shattering realizations happened on spectacularly unique days under extraordinary circumstances or, at least, one thought they should. That was not the case with Draco Malfoy.

It was a brisk fall day that started like it normally did. He dressed in his normal Slytherin robes, had his normal eggs for breakfast and received his normal worried letter from his mother before going about his business.

There he was, sitting in Professor Trelawney's stifling classroom with enough perfume wafting around to make him gag, when Trelawney informed the class they would be working on crystal balls...in _pairs_.

Fair enough, he would just snag Blaise for a partner. He turned toward Blaise just as Trelawney said in her sing-song voice, "And I will choose your partners for you."

Annoyed murmurs broke out throughout the class but Trelawney pressed on announcing pairs.

Draco bit back a smile when Blaise was paired with Potter but he couldn't hold back a grin when Pansy was paired with Weasley—both looking murderous. His smile faded when Trelawney announced, "And Mr. Malfoy will be partnered with Miss Granger."

Granger glared at him from across the room before getting to her feet and reluctantly walking over to him. She sat down across from him in a huff, avoiding his eyes.

"Now, children," Trelawney began, twirling her wand. "Please gaze into the crystal ball in front of you."

With a whoosh—enormous, cloudy crystal balls appeared on every table in front of each pair of students. "Let your eyes focus on the swirling mist," she continued. "Be open to the mystical messages from the beyond. Free your _mind!_ "

At that, Granger rolled her eyes so hard, it was a wonder she didn't pull an eye muscle.

"I'll go first," Granger sniffed bossily. Draco should've been annoyed but he realized this was the first words they exchanged since their eighth year started three weeks ago. She crossed her arms and stared into the crystal ball. Even if one did believe in all this crystal ball rubbish, there was no way Granger would see anything with her half-arsed effort.

He was just about to say something snarky when he noticed Granger getting more and more agitated. She was now scowling outright at the crystal ball.

"This is so stupid," she hissed to herself.

"Did you free your mind?" he drawled lazily.

Granger glared daggers at him and opened her mouth just as Trelawney swept up next to them. "Mr. Malfoy is right, my dear girl. You must _free_ your mind!" Then, just as suddenly, she swept away.

Granger leaned over their crystal ball. "How does someone free their mind? It makes no sense!"

"Well, with a mind as busy as yours, I'm sure it's next to impossible," Draco answered with a shrug.

Granger blinked and leaned back. "I can't tell if that was an insult or a compliment."

Draco blinked in return. He wasn't sure himself. Before he could even formulate an answer, Granger returned her attention to the crystal ball.

He stared at her, confusion welling up inside him. The soft glow from the crystal ball lit up the delicate angles of her face. He was just stating a fact, he supposed. It _was_ a fact that she had a sharp, busy mind. Just like it was a fact she had a light dusting of freckles on her nose—a nose that was very straight but slightly upturned at the tip. It was a fact she could retain a huge amount of information. It was also a fact that her eyes were a warm, caramel shade of brown. It was a fact that she excelled at anything she put her mind to. And it was also a fact that she was very, very pretty.

Draco jerked in his seat. His heart skipped a beat. He just admitted he thought Granger was...was...

"What a waste of time," Granger muttered angrily.

Her words yanked him out of his sudden existential crisis. He swallowed hard. He needed to pull himself together.

He cleared his throat. "Well, I believe it's my turn now."

He didn't wait for her to answer, just gazed down into the crystal ball, his thoughts swirling as wildly as the mist.

What in Salazar's name just happened? He could acknowledge that he was always a little intrigued by her. She represented all that was supposedly wrong with the wizarding world—with her outsider status and muggleborn blood. Here she was, allegedly inferior, being smarter and more powerful than the most pureblooded students in the school. How could he not focus on her? Her very existence turned his world upside down. Then after the war, all that blood purity nonsense was just that. _Nonsense_.

It was still a bitter pill to swallow to realize everything he thought made him worthy was a bloody lie. He would never forgive his father for that.

But to think Granger was... _pretty_?

What was he supposed to do with this realization? He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. His eyes stared unfocused into the crystal ball. It must be a mistake—some cruel trick his mind was playing on him. Yes, that was it.

Then he saw movement. His eyes snapped into focus.

Two figures were forming in the crystal ball. Draco barely swallowed a gasp as he saw himself materialize in the whirling fog. His stomach dropped in anticipation. He had a feeling who the second figure was before it solidified a moment later. There she was. _Granger_.

He watched in horrified fascination as both figures moved closer together, their faces inches apart. His fingers tingled as he watched himself reach up and trail his fingers down Granger's cheek, then down to the back of her neck. She smiled up at him—a real smile, like she actually _liked_ him.

He watched himself lower his head. Oh Merlin, he was going to kiss her. He was going to put his mouth on her mouth! Their mouths were going to _actually_ touch! And she would surely hex him. There was no getting around it. Even if she was smiling at him like she liked him, she would still never allow it, not in this universe.

Instead, Granger wrapped her arms around his neck and raised herself on her tiptoes. She slowly pressed her lips to his. The kiss was soft—chaste—but lingering. Draco felt his face grow hot. When they pulled away from each other, he watched himself smile down at her. He looked...happy. Really happy, so happy it made his heart hurt.

"Did you see something?"

Draco nearly jumped. "What?" he blurted.

Granger was staring at him with weary concern. "Did you see something?" she asked again.

He shook his head vigorously. His eyes darted at the crystal ball. There was nothing but churning fog. "No. Nothing! Completely blank. Blanker than blank!"

She looked at him dubiously. "Really? Your expression doesn't look like you saw nothing."

"What? My expressi—" he scoffed. "That's ridiculous!" His voice cracked and he winced.

Granger looked at him like bloodhound who had caught a scent. He swallowed hard.

"Ridiculous?" she growled. "What's ridiculous is your blatant lying—"

"Okay, children, that is enough for today. Class is dismissed!" Trelawney announced with a clap of her hands. "Remember: many of you won't make it to adulthood!"

Draco wasted no time jumping to his feet and racing out of the classroom.

* * *

Draco was worried Granger wouldn't let the crystal ball episode go. She had glanced at him several times during supper, her eyes burning with curiosity. That wasn't a good sign but the next day day she only looked at him once during breakfast and then acted like he didn't exist the rest of the day. A few days later, things were back to normal much to his relief.

During that time, he had convinced himself he didn't think Granger was pretty. Not really. It was just a moment of madness. She was just a non-hideous girl who just happened to be in his line of sight that day. That was all it was.

He reluctantly admitted to himself that he was just lonely. After a terrifying year of living under the same roof as the Dark Lord, Draco had built himself a nice, little wall around himself to protect his soft, squishy center. That meant not opening himself in any vulnerable way. And, with the exception of his mother, he didn't trust anyone. He learned his lesson, thank you very much.

But that protection he so carefully built had some weak spots—he couldn't help longing for some kind of connection. And that's where Granger came in. They had a brief, albeit weird, connection and his lonely boy brain latched onto it. It was nothing. And neither was that strange vision he had in the crystal ball. All in his head.

It was nothing.

 _Nothing_.

Everything would go back to the way it was.

He should've known better.

It was late—almost curfew—when he left the library. He headed down to the Slytherin common room, taking one of the more deserted corridors. He thought about his transfiguration essay and the spells he would have to practice in charms. He thought about the letter he would write to his mother that night and when the next model of racing brooms would be announced.

His mind drifted, following each thought like a trail in a forest. Suddenly, the image of Granger smiling at him sprang to the forefront—then their kiss. He tried to shove the thoughts away but he could still see her lovely face. His traitorous brain wondered how she would feel in his arms, if her curly hair was as soft as it looked. He could almost hear her voice whispering endearments, calling out his name.

Wait—that _was_ her voice.

He turned and saw Granger following him. His heart jumped. He walked faster.

"Hey, Malfoy!" she called. "HEY! Wait! Why are you walking so—"

He could hear her panting behind him. He sped up.

"Will you stop. Merlin, slow down!" she yelled. "Don't make me petrify you!"

Reluctantly, he stopped and slowly turned around. Granger was still speed-walking down the corridor. She stopped in front of him, bending over to grab her knees as she caught her breath.

He peered down at her imperiously. "What do you want?"

She straightened up. "What do I want?" she sneered. "Well, hello to you too."

"You chased after me just to say hello?" he sneered back.

"Chased after—" She planted a hand on her hip. "I wouldn't have to if you stopped like a normal person!"

"We're not on speaking terms, Granger."

"Whatever, Malfoy. I just want to know what you saw in that stupid crystal ball."

"Nothing!" he snapped. His voice didn't sound as confident as he would've liked.

Her eyes narrowed. "For a Slytherin, you're a terrible liar."

"What?" he scoffed. "I'll have you know I'm a fantastic liar!"

"What was in that crystal ball?"

"Do you not understand English? Nothing!"

"Nothing? Really?" Granger argued. She really was relentless. "You didn't act like it was nothing, you acted like you were seeing your worst fear."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You said my name."

Draco's mouth fell open. "What?"

"You did. You looked into that crystal ball, got really pale, or at least paler than usual, then you whispered my name."

"I...I don't know what you're talking about." He turned to leave.

"I'm not done!" she yelled after him.

He picked up his pace. "Well, I am!"

He was just about to descend down a short flight of stairs when Granger grabbed the sleeve of his robe. He wasn't sure what happened, maybe the combination of his momentum and the imbalance of Granger's footing but somehow they got tangled up, tripping over each other's feet and toppling down the stairs. Granger shrieked, her hands clutching desperately to Draco's robes.

Draco had fallen many times off his broom. His hand instinctively grasped his wand. He murmured a hasty spell and their bodies went weightless for a moment, then back to normal.

The good news: the spell was enough to soften the impact. The bad news: the ground was a thousand year old stone. More good news: the fall wasn't that bad. More bad news: Granger fell right on him, breaking her fall with his body.

He blinked up at the ceiling. Strands of curly hair lay across his face. Granger groaned in his ear.

She was laying on top of him.

She raised her head and peered down at him. "Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes worried. Her face was inches away from his, her hair draped around his face like a curtain.

She was on top of him.

Draco swallowed loudly, coherent thoughts were officially out of his reach. She smelled incredible.

She. Was. On. Top. Of. Him.

She propped herself on her elbow, shifting her weight. Draco almost went cross eyed.

All he could focus on was how good she felt, how good she _smelled_. He couldn't describe it exactly, it just screamed _pretty girl_ to his male brain. "Help..." he whimpered.

Granger tried to scramble to her feet but they were still tangled up. Her body was so soft and warm and was now squirming against his.

He hissed and grabbed her hips firmly. "Stop moving. Please."

She froze, staring down at him. He felt light-headed. His body was reacting. In a half second, the situation would go from awkward to _horrifically_ awkward fast. He needed to get her off him immediately. Carefully but quickly, he extricated himself from her, gently pushing her off him. He rose unsteadily to his feet.

He had to squash the urge to offer a hand to help her up.

He watched her wearily as she stood.

She took a deep breath. "Are you okay?" she said again.

No, he wasn't okay! "Uh huh," he muttered. "Are you?"

"I think so," she said, though she looked shaken.

"Okay, good." He nodded, running a rough hand through his hair. Was that a blush on her cheeks? Merlin, he was losing it. "Okay, em, goodnight."

Without waiting for an answer, he turned and fled down the corridor.

* * *

Draco dragged himself to the Great Hall the next morning. He barely slept after the _stairway incident_ —his traitorous brain kept replaying the moments her body was pressed so wonderfully against his. He ended up crashing in the Slytherin common room reading _The Book of Warts and Other Gruesome Maladies_ for most of the night.

He didn't see her when he entered the Great Hall and he made sure to sit with his back facing the Gryffindor table to avoid any eye contact. How could he face her again? Did she have any inkling of his infatuation with her? Yes, he finally admitted the truth to himself last night as he gazed down at disgusting wart pictures—that he, Draco Malfoy, was officially infatuated with Hermione Granger. Ugh! What a bloody nightmare! What would his father say? Oh, who the hell cares about his father, he was spending his loathsome days in Azkaban. But his mother?

He downed his third cup of tea, deciding resolutely that he would avoid her at all costs. He would avoid even looking at her. If he pretended she didn't exist, maybe this stupid attraction would go away.

It was easy enough considering he had no classes with Gryffindor that day and everything went according to plan well into the evening where he found himself in his common room playing a round of wizarding chess with Blaise. After thoroughly thrashing Blaise, Draco left triumphantly for the owlery.

He had just climbed the last set of stairs from the dungeons when he heard a male voice.

"Come on, Hermione, don't be like that..."

Draco froze.

He heard Granger respond but couldn't make out her words.

"Give me one of your pretty smiles," was the voice's answer.

Draco's stomach dropped with an ugly twist.

He debated on walking away but his feet were already moving toward the voices. He peered around a corner and saw an annoyed looking Granger and that McLaggen git.

McLaggen sauntered toward her. "I'm not asking for your hand in marriage, I just want to spend some time with you, is all."

Granger rolled her eyes, looking unimpressed. "In the astronomy tower? How _original_?"

"It doesn't have to be in astronomy tower." McLaggen inched closer to her and Draco's hands squeezed into fists. "It can be anywhere you want, however way you want it."

Granger made a disgusted noise. "No, thanks."

McLaggen surged forward, pressing his hands against the wall and caging Granger between his arms. He grinned and leaned in for a kiss.

Draco's wand was in his hand before he knew it, with a hundred nasty hexes on his tongue when he saw McLaggen's entire body stiffen.

Slowly, Mclaggen backed away, his hands rising cautiously in the air. Draco could see why. Granger had her wand out and it was digging painfully into McLaggen's crotch.

Her face was flushed with outrage. "How _dare_ you?" she hissed. "What gives you the right—If you ever try anything like that again with me," she twisted her hand and McLaggen straightened even further, "or with anyone else, for that matter, I promise you, I will demonstrate the most painful miniaturizing curse I know." She dug her wand in and McLaggen squeaked. "And it is _permanent_. Do you understand me?"

McLaggen nodded like his life depended on it.

"Good," she growled. "Now get out of my face."

McLaggen turned and bolted down corridor, his robes flapping loudly behind him.

Granger let out a huff as she muttered angrily to herself. Then she turned and saw Draco. Her eyes narrowed. "Malfoy?"

Draco could only imagine what he looked like with his wand in his hand and his stony expression.

"Are you okay?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, I..." She glanced down at his wand. "Were you..." She made a strange, disbelieving sound. "Were you going to defend me?"

Draco fidgeted, peering down at the wand in his hand before putting it back in his robes. "Well, it's not just...I mean, not personally—I would've defended...anyone in that—McLaggen is a complete wanker."

She walked slowly over to him, stopping a foot away. "That was very...nice." She gave him a small smile. "To do that for...anyone."

Draco was horrified to feel his heart surge at her words. He _liked_ that he pleased her.

"Well, don't tell anyone," he said ruefully. "I don't want to ruin the reputation I so carefully built."

"Of course," she said, smiling wider. "Wouldn't dream of it."

She took one step closer, close enough that he could see her freckles clearly. She opened her mouth then closed it.

He sighed loudly. "You want to ask me about what happened in Divinations."

"I..." She let out a breath and nodded. "Am I that obvious?"

"Well, you are a Gryffindor. You lot are not known for subtlety." he answered. "I'm just...I'm not sure what to think of all this crystal ball stuff, okay." He ran his fingers through his hair, grabbing a handful before dropping it. He wasn't going to tell her the vision. He just wasn't, but that didn't mean he had to lie either.

"What I saw..." he began. "You weren't in danger. If you were at risk, I _would_ tell you."

She looked at him dubiously. "I normally wouldn't believe you but...you were just about to defend me from McLaggen so..."

He could only shrug. He would've defended another girl in that situation—Merlin knows the war bled him dry of his lingering cruelty—he couldn't stomach people being targeted anymore. His reaction to defend her only cemented what he already knew. He had feelings for her.

"And as far as visions in crystal balls," she continued. "The research is dodgy at best."

He snorted. "Of course you researched it," he said.

She gave him a look. "What I'm trying to say is, the visions don't exactly predict the future." She shook her head. "The entire field is exasperating, really! Just vague wording and images that make zero sense that don't actually give any useful information."

Draco knew there was no mistaking what he saw. It was quite straight forward but he nodded along anyway. He refused to dwell on whether or not what he saw was _actually_ the future. If he did, he might go mad.

"In the crystal ball, what I saw—I really don't know..." he managed. "It's confusing and...I don't feel comfortable sharing it right now."

Granger opened her mouth then closed it again. She seemed to be struggling with herself. "Okay." She took a deep breath. "Okay, that's fair."

He blinked in surprise. "Okay."

Draco's gaze roamed over her face. At this distance he could see a freckle darker than all the rest perched above her cheekbone. His fingers twitched.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around then," she said. She turned to leave, then stopped. "Thank you for...explaining the crystal ball stuff and also," she shrugged a shoulder, "for being willing to intervene with McLaggen—"

"Let's just refer him as _The_ Utter Wanker, please," he finished.

She laughed softly and nodded. "Yes, The Utter Wanker."

With that, she left and—Merlin, help him—he did his best not to stare after her.

* * *

This has been rattling around my brain for awhile and I decided it was time to write it all out. I hope you enjoy it. Not beta'd so there may be some typos. Thanks for reading.


	2. Part 2

Author's Notes: This is the last chapter of this fic and I'm kind of sad. I love being at Hogwarts again. I may have to write another Hogwarts: Dramione fic to make me feel better later. Thank you for taking time to read this fic and a hug for those who reached out to me :)

* * *

Several days passed since Draco last spoke with Granger in the corridor that night. They had exchanged a few furtive glances in class and in the Great Hall, but mostly, they kept away from each other.

Now they were in Potions together and Draco did his best not to stare at the back of her head. It was made difficult when she swept her hair over one shoulder showcasing the pretty line of her neck. God, he had it bad for her. It was embarrassing. He was a Malfoy, for Merlin's sake!

Still, his eyes were drawn to the soft skin just behind her ear. He bit his tongue and lowered his forehead to the table. It felt cool against his burning, humiliated skin.

"Mr. Malfoy," Professor Slughorn called out.

Draco snapped to attention. "Sir!"

"I take it you don't have any questions about the potion we will be brewing today?" the professor asked in his usual droll voice.

"Uh, no, sir."

Slughorn nodded his head like he didn't believe him. "Then how many times must you stir the potion after you add the bitter root?"

"Fifty times, sir. Clockwise," Draco said. "After that, 3 grams of crushed moth wings must be added. Then the potion must be stirred another fifty times. _Counter_ clockwise, of course."

"Of course," Slughorn answered with a smile. "And what if you don't execute the steps properly?"

"I'm afraid it may catch fire, sir," he said. "Or, in some rare cases, explode."

"Excellent. Excellent," Slughorn chuckled delightedly. "Ten points to Slytherin!"

Draco's eyes flickered to Granger. Next to her was Potter and Weasley who were both scowling at him but she was looking at him...strangely, like she was impressed. Draco tried not to preen under her attention.

An hour later, the Potions classroom was sweltering and everyone was sweating over their bubbling cauldrons. Draco's bright orange potion was looking exactly as it should. He was silently congratulating himself when he heard a strange rattling sound.

He glanced up to see Neville's cauldron shaking violently. Everyone around it backed up. It rolled off its stand and fell onto the table. The potion didn't spill out. It was stuck inside, thick and congealed. A few people sighed in relief. Then the cauldron erupted.

The angle of the explosion hurled the thick, green potion right at Granger, splattering her jumper and skirt. She shrieked. Draco's heart stopped. Smoke sputtered off her clothing. The smell of burnt tar filled the room. Draco took a step toward her but Potter, always the hero, was already there with his wand, dousing her clothes with water.

She clawed at her jumper. "It's still burning!" she screamed. Weasley was now by her side, helping Potter pull off her jumper, tearing away her skirt. Draco could only stare in fascinated horror as she was stripped down to her bra and knickers. And there stood Granger, only in her simple, white-laced underwear and shoes, looking mortified and beautiful.

His eyes drank in the sight. He noted that Granger didn't look hurt, much to his relief but he was immediately distracted by the warm, golden color of her skin. Sweet Salazar, there was so much of it on display! His eyes trailed up the soft lines of her thighs, up to the curve of her hips then to the sweet dip of her waist and up to her—

The sounds of laughter shook him out of his trance. He glanced around the room. Everyone was frozen with the exception of the Slytherin girls who were whispering and giggling behind him. The other Gryffindor girls looked on in horrified sympathy. Professor Slughorn was standing as still as a statue, his hands covering his eyes. The boys, and notably a couple of the girls, were looking at Granger like they were seeing her for the first time. Even Potter and Weasley were staring at her in a way that made Draco want to curse them.

Granger raised her arms to cover her chest, her eyes darting around the room. She looked like she wanted the ground to swallow her up. Her lip trembled and that was enough to spur Draco into action. He snatched his robes from the back of his chair and marched toward her, shouldering past Weasley and Potter.

Draco swept his robes over her shoulders, taking care to cover her completely.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing, Malfoy?" Potter snapped.

"Being useful, unlike you gits," Draco sneered. He turned to Slughorn. "Professor, permission to take Granger to the hospital wing?"

Dazed, Slughorn nodded, muttering unintelligibly.

Potter took a step toward him, his expression hard. "I'm her friend. I should go with her."

"Yeah, me too!" Weasley butt in.

Draco gestured at Granger. "She's borrowing my robes. I want to make sure I get it back."

Harry opened his mouth to argue but Granger stopped him. "It's okay, Harry. I'll go with Malfoy."

Before Potter got a chance to argue, Draco placed a hand on Granger's back and led her out of the classroom without a backwards glance.

He dropped his hand the moment they entered the corridor. Granger gripped his robes, wrapping it tightly around her body.

He glanced at her worriedly as they walked in silence. She looked like she might cry.

"Are you okay?" he asked tentatively.

Granger's lips tightened and shook her head.

"Are you hurt? Did that stuff get on you?"

Granger slowed down and carefully brought her hand out from his robes. Draco took her hand gently and looked at it. The skin was red and slightly raised. His stomach clenched. He let go of her hand.

"The potion burned when it landed on my skin but only for a second," she said, sniffling. "It seemed to prefer my clothing."

"It still looks like it hurts," he said.

"It's not too bad," she said. "It feels really tender and tingly. Some of it got on my arms and legs."

"Oh, I didn't notice it on your..." He blushed. He just admitted that he got a good eyeful. "Well, Madam Pomfrey will fix you right up," he said encouragingly. "I have no doubt about it."

Granger opened her mouth then closed it and stared at the ground as they continued on.

There was a very strange sensation spreading in Draco's chest—a tightening inside his ribs he did not like. He glanced at Granger again, taking in her dejected expression and the tightening intensified. He wanted to say something—something that may ease her emotions but he was at a loss.

Granger broke the silence. "Everyone saw me..." she said. "In my...oh, god." She swallowed and turned her face away from him.

"It's not that bad," he said gently. "It could've been worse."

She stared at him. " _How?_ "

"Well, for one, your knickers and bra stayed on. Imagine if you were completely naked." He blushed the moment the words came out of his mouth. "I—I mean, you know...if you..."

Granger nodded. "I guess."

"See? I'm right," he said.

She was silent for a moment then she took a breath. "It's just...I've tried so hard to excel here, to show everyone what a muggleborn could achieve and now..." She shook her head, "I'm just worried everyone will only remember me standing in my underwear in class."

" _What?_ " Draco stopped dead in his tracks.

"They won't remember the things I've done, Malfoy, they'll just remember what happened to me in there," she said morosely.

It was partially true, Draco would _definitely_ remember that moment and he would treasure the memory until the day he died but he nearly choked at the utter nonsense she was spewing.

"That's shite, Granger!"

She turned her heard, looking confused for a moment before she realized Draco was behind her.

"What! It's true," she protested.

He marched over to her. "No, it's not. It's rubbish!"

Granger straightened up. "Rubbish? It's not—"

He glared at her. "Did you or did you not arrive at Hogwarts as a first year, knowing nothing of the magical world and become _the_ top student at Hogwarts?"

"Well, I suppose so—" she stammered.

"Did you or did you not face off with some of the deadliest dark wizards then got chased around in all of England? And then, did you or did you not fight in a bloody battle against the _Dark Lord_?"

"Okay, yes but—"

"And did you or did you not come back to Hogwarts after all that to finish your last year and dominate in every subject. _Again_?"

"Well, yeah but listen—"

"No, you listen!" He jabbed a finger toward her. "You've accomplished all those things. All of those things! And you think that all gets erased because a few people saw you in your knickers?"

"Well, when you put it like that! I...I don't know," Granger said shakily.

"You don't _know_? Salazar's Snake, Granger, has anyone told you, for a brilliant person, you're pretty dumb?"

Granger's mouth dropped. "Hey, now you're just being rude!"

"I'm a Malfoy, Granger. It's my lot to be rude," he said. "But I'm also being honest here. No one is going to think like that. And if they do? Who bloody cares! Are you really going to give a toss about what anyone thinks of you?"

"Well, I mean I guess not—"

"You guess _not_? Repeat after me: I, Hermione Granger, don't give a bullocks about what anyone thinks of me!"

"I am not going to say that!"

"Why not?" he said, exasperated. "Is it because I said bullocks?"

Granger huffed and stomped off.

"Merlin, just admit I'm right," Malfoy called after her.

"Fine, you're right!" she snapped. Draco smiled and caught up with her.

The rest of the walk was in silence until they reached the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey hurried over, demanding to know what happened. She nodded impatiently as Granger recounted the story then bustled them both over to a bed and had Granger sit down. Pomfrey drew the curtains all around them.

"I've seen these type of burns before, my dear," Pomfrey said, inspecting Granger's hand. "I have the perfect salve for them. Just wait right here." She glanced at Malfoy. "You may leave at any time, Mr. Malfoy." Then she swept past the curtains, her footsteps echoing loudly on the stone floor.

Draco stood there awkwardly. He stared at the white curtains around them. Should he go? He didn't want to but would it be weird if he stayed?

"I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will give me a change of clothes soon," Granger said. "Then I can give you back your robes."

Draco shook his head. "Don't worry about that."

"But you said you wanted your robes back. You said that's why you came with—"

"I only said that to get Potter off my back," Draco said. "He's a bloody menace."

Granger rolled her eyes. "He's not bad. Actually, he's quite wonderful—"

Draco held up a hand. "Please. Don't."

She smiled softly and then her expression turned sad. Draco's chest did that strange tightening thing again.

He nudged her arm with his elbow. "Hey."

She peered up at him. "I'm just embarrassed."

"Remember. Could be worse. Completely starkers."

Her smile returned and he felt a little lighter. They stared at each other for a long moment. Draco's heart beat faster. He cleared his throat and looked away. His face felt hot.

"I'll see if Slughorn gave us any homework," he said. "And maybe I can drop by later to—"

"We got that covered, Malfoy."

The curtains whipped open. Potter and Weasley stood there looking like they were two seconds from hexing his arse off.

Weasley crossed his arms, no doubt try to make his biceps look better. "Yeah, what Harry said." He jerked his head to the side. "Now go piss off, ferret."

"Ronald!" Granger hissed.

Draco glared at them before straightening up to his full height. "It's fine. I'll see you around, Granger." He shoved past Weasley and left the hospital wing with his head high.

He did stop by Slughorn's office to pick up any new assignments—there was one, an essay on the importance of directional stirrings in potions. A little late, Draco thought, but clearly still relevant. He debated on stopping by the hospital wing and letting Granger know about the assignment, even though Potter and Weasley insisted they _had it covered._ However, since Draco was convinced those two prats couldn't find their arse from their head, he thought it might be best to visit Granger anyway.

His heart thumped loudly as he entered the hospital wing and approached her curtained-off bed. He slid open the curtain. The bed was empty. She must have been well enough to leave. He was grateful for that. However, it didn't lesson the feeling of disappointment that sat heavily in his chest.

* * *

The next day was a good one. The weather was cold but sunny. It was the end of classes and he hardly had any homework and a few times throughout the day, he and Granger exchanged several friendly smiles—they were obvious enough for Potter and Weasley to notice and they glared at him spitefully. All in all, a very good day.

He was on his way to the library, when he heard a sound behind him.

 _Psst!_

He turned and saw Granger peeking out of an alcove, gesturing for him come over.

He glanced around him to make sure she was talking to him.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, you, Malfoy!" she whispered loudly.

He approached the alcove, glancing behind him again. She grabbed him by his shirt and yanked him in. Merlin, it was a tight space. His body brushed against hers and he felt his face explode with heat. He hoped it was too dark for her to notice.

"Are you...how's your," he stammered. "You feeling better?"

"Yes, yes," Granger said. She suddenly didn't look so sure of herself. "I just wanted to..." She shoved a black bundle into his hands. "Your robes."

"Oh," he said, his voice quiet.

"Thank you, by the way," Granger said in a rush.

"Of course," he said. He turned to leave.

"Why?" she blurted.

He stopped and looked at her. "What?"

"Why...did you help me?"

He knew why but he wasn't sure if he could say it out loud. "I couldn't have you standing in class almost naked. It seemed cruel not to help," he said instead.

She nodded once, her mouth twisting on one side. "It was not just in Potions. You were going to help me with Cormac."

"We've talked about this," Draco sighed. "He is to be referred as The Utter Wanker."

Granger smirked. "Right, sorry."

"And you didn't need any help with him either. Took care of him just fine on your own."

She shrugged indifferently. "You've been different with me this year," she said. "Considerate. Kind even."

"I've...learned a lot," he admitted.

She drifted closer to him, which was hard to do—they were so close already. She gazed up at him and Draco stopped breathing. Her eyes looked black in the darkness.

"So have I." She glanced down at the robes in his hands. "I'm grateful you helped me yesterday."

His stomach did a slow, steady flip.

"Did you see..." she started to say.

"What?" he asked softly.

She took a deep breath. "In the crystal ball, you saw _us_ , didn't you?"

Draco swallowed hard.

"And it was...romantic, wasn't it?" she asked.

Draco opened his mouth but no words came out. Of course, she figured it out—brightest witch of their age and all. And what could he say? The truth? He was a Slytherin after all. But he felt it— the wall he so carefully built, already weakened by her—now crumbling before her steady, brave presence.

His heart was racing. "I did," he said finally. "But if I told you what I saw..." He looked down. "You would be disgusted."

"I don't think I would be," she said quietly.

His jaw fell open.

"Did you see us kiss?" she said.

He nodded.

Her face flushed adorably. "Anything more?" she asked.

He coughed and shook his head. Merlin, if he saw more than a kiss in that crystal ball he would've had a heart attack in class!

"No," he said.

"Was it this moment you saw?" she asked. Her eyes flickered to his mouth.

Wait, was she—did she want to kiss him? _Right now?_

"I'm not sure," he answered slowly.

"Why aren't you sure?"

"Well, what I saw happened so quickly," he said. "And I was already really shocked because right before that I—"

He clamped his mouth shut.

"What—what happened before that?" Granger asked. Her expression lit up with curiosity.

"I..." He took a deep breath, feeling suddenly brave. Maybe she was injecting some of her courage into him. "Well, I had just noticed how incredibly pretty you are."

Her eyes widened. "Oh."

He huffed a laugh. "Yeah, just...really beautiful." He dumped the robes he was holding and reached for her hand. "And then, in the crystal ball, I saw..."

"Yes?"

He took a shaky breath. This was what he was avoiding. He knew enough of crystal balls that if a vision was clear and straight-forward, it was probably going to happen. And what did that mean for him? What did that mean for Granger?

Draco's heart thumped hard in his chest. "I..."

She entwined her fingers with his, bringing him back to the moment.

"I can show you what didn't happen," he finally said.

Granger's eyes flickered down in disappointment.

"Because," he said, reaching for her chin with his fingers. He raised her head to look her in the eyes. "I don't want what I saw to be the only time I kissed you," he said. "I want it to still be in the future."

She blinked then smiled. "Oh, okay."

He smiled back. "In the crystal ball" he said, his fingers grazing her throat. "I didn't kiss your forehead like this."

He bent down a placed a light kiss just above her eyebrow.

"Oh?" she said a little breathless.

"And I also didn't kiss you on your cheeks like this either."

He leaned down and kissed her gently on both corners of her mouth. Granger's eyes fluttered closed.

"And when I kissed you on the lips," he whispered. "It was a little firmer than this."

He lightly touched his lips to hers, brushing them back and forth until he finally pulled away.

Granger sighed dreamily. He could relate. He felt like he could float away.

She blinked her eyes open. She looked so stunning it was making it difficult for him to breath.

Her hands reached up and gripped his shirt. "I like you, Draco Malfoy," she said with a smile. "I like you a lot."

He returned her smile, his chest now doing the opposite of that tightening sensation. It was expanding, like it was filling with light. This is what happiness must feel like.

He ran his fingers through her hair. It _was_ as soft as it looked. "I like you too, Hermione Granger," he said. "I like you more than I thought was even possible."

She grinned up at him and pulled him closer. "Now, show me more of what you didn't see in that stupid crystal ball."

He laughed, and wrapped his arms around her then kissed her for real.

* * *

Several weeks went by and it was almost Christmas. The castle was bursting with festive cheer. A massive, glittering tree stood proudly in the Great Hall. The corridors glowed with twinkling fairy lights and sparkling snowflakes. A rather rambunctious mistletoe was wreaking havoc throughout the school. Draco was thrilled about that, any excuse to kiss Hermione was welcome but he was disappointed when the mistletoe mostly targeted people who were not couples.

And that's what Draco and Hermione were. Officially. A couple.

The entire school was shocked when they were spotted holding hands in the corridors a week after they professed their feelings for each other.

The Slytherins chalked it up as a smart play—public-relations wise—to date a famous war hero. It didn't hurt that they all saw or heard how incredible Hermione had looked under her clothes, a fact that no one brought up in front of Draco.

Potter and Weasley, on the other hand, and most of the Gryffindor house were apoplectic but their reaction was softened when it was discovered—in quite a scandalous way—that Ron had been hooking up with Pansy on the sly.

As far as being with Hermione, Draco had never been happier. They just seemed to click. She was brilliant, fierce, kind and tenacious. He admired her, respected her but, more than anything, he adored her. He could spend an eternity talking to her, kissing her. Sometimes it felt like time slowed down when they were together but the days seemed to be speeding up as winter break approached.

In a few days time, he would be back at the manor. He had informed his mother that he would be spending some time with Hermione during the holidays—a jaunt to a few museums in London, maybe a muggle movie or two and, most importantly, meeting Hermione's parents. His mother seemed happy for him and he didn't doubt that she was but he also didn't care if she was pretending. He was with Hermione now and that was that.

The corridor was crowded as he headed to Divinations with Blaise. Suddenly, someone grabbed his hand. He looked down and there was Hermione, smiling up at him. His heart fluttered—it still did when he saw her—and he grinned at her, lacing his fingers through hers. She offered a quick hello to Blaise and they walked to class together.

As usual, the Divinations classroom was muggy and stale with perfume. Draco glanced across the room. Weasley was sitting next to Pansy who was practically on his lap. It was still jarring to see them together but they looked happy. Next to them was Potter, who sat there stoically, like he couldn't believe his two best friends were dating the enemy but had to accept it anyway.

Draco snorted a laugh.

"What?" Hermione whispered next to him.

"Potter," he whispered back.

Hermione looked at Potter then waved at him until she got his attention. He smiled at her like he was in pain and gave her a feeble wave back.

Hermione smiled. "Poor Harry."

As class started, Professor Trelawney had informed them they would be working with crystal balls again. Draco nudged Hermione and they exchanged a small smile.

He wasn't partnered with Hermione this time, instead he was paired with Blaise. Harry looked somewhat mollified paired with Hermione.

After Blaise declared loudly that he saw nothing. It was Draco's turn. He gazed into the swirling haze of the crystal ball. A few long minutes and nothing happened. Draco decided the first time with the crystal ball must've been a fluke but then, a shadow darted in the mist. Draco froze, his eyes now straining. Shapes began to stir, solidifying in the fog.

Then he saw it—himself and Hermione. He was behind the wheel of one of those muggle automobiles in a deserted field. Hermione was beside him, talking a mile a minute with her hands waving wildly in front her. He nodded once, the look of excitement bright on his face. The automobile jerked forward then sped up. He whooped as they skidded in circles with Hermione clinging to the door frame.

The mist whirled. Now, he was in a glimmering ballroom, surrounded by friends on a dance floor. Next to him was Hermione, wrapped in his arms, looking gorgeous in a long, white dress. He pulled her into an embrace and lifted her off her feet, twirling her as she laughed breathlessly.

The clouds whirled again. He was in bed with Hermione, snuggling behind her, smiling as he nuzzled her neck. He gently turned her around to face him then kissed her slowly.

The mist continued to spin. It was him and Hermione peeking into a room. It was his old nursery. His mother was inside, rocking a baby with blond curly hair to sleep. She sang a song Draco hadn't heard since he was a child.

Again, the mist churned. He was walking on Platform 9 ¾, his mother by his side, her hand resting in the crook of his elbow. Ahead of them was a tall, blond boy, pushing a luggage cart. Draco glanced behind him and there was Hermione, walking beside an older muggle couple. On the other side of her was a girl with soft, blond curls pushing her own cart. The girl's large brown eyes met his and she grinned.

The clouds whirled one more time. He was now an old man, sitting in the gardens of Malfoy Manor. Next to him was Hermione, looking older with white hair and wrinkles but still beautiful. He grasped her hand and squeezed.

Several people gathered around them holding a cake with an alarming amount of lit candles on top. They were singing to him. Children gathered around, staring up at the cake excitedly. One small boy in particular looked disturbingly familiar, with unruly dark hair and glasses. _I'll help you blow out the candles, grandpapa!_

Then, just as suddenly, the mist went quiet, the images gone. Draco leaned back. His heart hammered in his chest.

He had seen...

He had seen...

"You okay, mate?"

Draco looked up and met Blaise's eyes.

He took a deep, shaky breath. "Yeah," Draco finally said. "Yeah, I am."

He glanced over at Hermione. She met his eyes and gave him a questioning look but he only shook his head before looking away.

If she noticed anything, she didn't mention it as they walked out of the classroom. There was still nothing out of the ordinary when he kissed her goodbye on the cheek and headed off to his class.

Draco had just gotten out of his last class and was heading to the library to meet Hermione when someone grabbed him by the robes and dragged him into a narrow, deserted alcove. He came face to face with Hermione who was looking at him closely, scrutinizing. Then she kissed him breathless.

She pulled away. "Did you see something in the crystal ball?"

"What?" Draco muttered in a daze. He could still feel her kiss on his lips.

She rubbed a hand on his chest. "Today. In Divinations. You acted like you saw something."

"Oh..." He wasn't sure what to tell her. He knew what he saw but he couldn't wrap his mind around it.

She gave him a look, a hint of a smirk on her lips. "And you better not lie. You're terrible at it."

He cracked a smile. "Only with you."

"Come on. Tell me what you saw," she prodded.

His smile faded. She looked at him worriedly.

"Was it...was it something bad?" she asked, her voice hesitant.

"No." He shook his head. "It was good. Really good but...but it was big." He looked at her. "Hermione, it was really big."

"Okay," she said encouragingly.

"I don't know how to explain without..." he said. "It was...a lot." He leaned back against a wall and watched her. "We were together and we were happy. Our family was happy."

Her eyes widened. "Family?" Her voice cracked.

"Yeah, see?" he said. "Big."

She nodded slowly. "Yes. That is big."

"Can we talk about it later? I just need some time."

Her lips tightened and he knew she was struggling not to ask a million questions. "Sure. I understand," she finally said.

His chest swelled. "Thank you, Hermione."

"Anything for you."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Anything?"

She rolled her eyes. "You're such a prat."

"But a prat you like?"

"Duh," she said, moving closer to him.

He reached for her face, his fingertips trailing down her cheek then sliding to the back of her neck. She smiled at him and he lowered his head then stopped. The most intense feeling of deja vu swept over him.

Hermione wound her arms around his neck, lifting herself higher on her tiptoes. She stared into his eyes as she slowly closed the gap between them. Her lips were soft and warm against his—just the lightest, sweet pressure. She turned her head and deepened the kiss before pulling away. His heart was stuttering as he gazed down at her.

"That was it," he breathed.

"What was?" she whispered.

"The moment I saw in the crystal ball," he said. "The first vision."

Hermione's eyebrows rose. "Really?"

He nodded, grinning at her.

"What happens next?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I don't know. That's all it showed."

She fiddled with the collar of his shirt and peered up at him, her brown eyes mesmerizing. "What do you think should happen next?"

He grinned, pulling her toward him. "Well, I think you should get a little closer to me."

She grinned back. "Okay."

"And I think you should kiss me again."

She laughed softly and kissed him lightly.

"More," he whispered.

"Always more with you," she scolded with a smile.

"Well, what can I say, Hermione, I'm just..." He stopped short. He had wanted to wait to tell her how he really felt about her on Christmas day. In fact, he had a small card tucked away in the present he got her, a first edition of Hogwarts: A History, with the three little words he had being dying to tell her for weeks now. He had wanted to make it special—memorable—but looking at her now, he realized this was the perfect time.

He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close and whispered the words in her ear.

She pulled away from him abruptly, staring up at him in surprise. His heart beat painfully in his chest. He thought he didn't care if she didn't feel the same but looking at her shocked face made him doubt everything. She had the power to crush him right now if she wanted.

Then her face broke out into a beautiful smile. He felt a warm rushing feeling in his arms and legs.

"I..." she started to say. "I feel the same way." She took a deep breath and hugged him, her breath hot against his ear. Then she whispered the words back to him.

 _I love you too._


End file.
